A Traveler with a Taste for Tuna
by R.L BlackRose
Summary: Gakupo's lonely- until he gets a surprise visit from a pink-haired gunslinger, Luka. He decides to give her food and shelter. But she's hiding something, a well-kept secret involving the government... has Gakupo bitten off more than he can chew? GakuLuka [OLD]
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Well, you guys- here! Be you a GakuLuka lover, a Vocaloid lover, or just a plain old seeker of good fanfiction- let me just pledge to you that I will try my best to please you with this story! :)**

**Other pairings in this fic, apart from the main one (Gakupo and Luka), are Len and Rin, Kaito and Meiko, Piko and Miki, Sweet Ann and Al, and Miku and Mikuo. None of it is Incest, don't worry! Also, please do recommend more, I'd be glad to try and add them in~ :3**

**PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW/CRITIQUE! I can't stress this enough. Egg me on. Threaten to kill me if I don't update soon. Whatever suits your fancy- I love death threats, be creative with them! XD**

**And now, without further ado... enjoy! **

Chapter One

The storm outside pounded on the small house, making the windows rattle and shake. The rain drummed menacingly on the roof before running down in small waterfalls, down onto the rain-soaked ground.

Gakupo Kamui sighed as he leaned over, positioning yet another bucket under the leaking ceiling.

"What a storm, what a storm!" he muttered to himself. "Whew!"

Since there was no one there to hear him, he stopped talking and sat down, reaching for the fruit bowl in the center of his small, square table. It was filled with bulbous purple eggplants.

He paused to stare out at the rain again. It made him feel even smaller, lonlier than before. Gakupo sighed again. He'd started doing that a lot lately.

Not even the naughtiest movies in his collection could cheer him up this time. No, Gakupo Kamui was lonely and he knew it.

Gakupo glanced up at the clock on the bookshelf. It was 11:51 P.M. Slowly, he stood up, long robes brushing past the chair he'd been sitting on.

He padded over to the closet, from which he took a small eggplant cake that he'd made. Then, he took a single candle and twisted it in to the soft, sweet smelling surface.

Gakupo sat down at the table again, putting the cake in front of him.

_What a crummy birthday. _he thought dejectedly to himself as he lit the candle. _Living alone sucks._

He'd lived alone since he left his house at fifteen. And now he was seventeen, about to start 12th grade.

He stared at his cake, eyes boring silent holes into it. Then, he leaned back. "This is stupid." he muttered angrily to himself. "I wish there was someone here to celebrate this with. But nooo, of course not. Because who cares about me?"

He slouched.

"No one." he answered sadly.

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his conversation with himself by the clock as it struck twelve. It let out the sound of twelve staticky, pre-recorded chimes, and so Gakupo bowed his head and thought of a birthday wish.

_I wish I wasn't alone. _he thought.

The last chime sounded.

Gakupo lifted his head and blew out the candle. He looked away, bored-

All of a sudden, lightning shot through the windows and thunder boomed loudly outside. "Whoa!" he shouted, jumping up.

He chuckled at himself for a second and was about to sit back down, with one hand on top of the chair back-

_Thump thump thump_

Three knocks pierced the night. Gakupo froze.

Someone... was knocking at the door?

At midnight?

"Who's there?" he called, wondering if it was just the rain-

_ Thump thump thump thump thump_, the knocking went again. It was louder, more insistent.

"Coming, coming..." Gakupo said, inching towards the door. _Should I grab a baseball bat, or something? What if this person's dangerous?_

He wrapped his hand around the cold steel of the doorknob.

_ Here goes..._

And then he turned it and pulled, flinging the door open. Instantly, he was drenched in the torrentious rain from outside. He squinted through it...

A shape holding an umbrella stood in the doorway. It swayed slightly... and then it stumbled, falling onto him.

"Whoa!" he said, stumbling back with the weight of... him? Her? The person's still-open umbrella fell from her hand, landing lightly on the floor.

Gakupo suddenly realized that it was a woman. He could tell, from the shape of her- but why-? What-?

"Oh..." he heard her moan softly. "Please..."

"What's wrong?" he said anxiously, sensing that something was... off. "Do you need an ambulan-?"

All of a sudden, he felt a hand close around his throat. He didn't even have time to yell as he was slammed into the wall.

Lights burst before his eyes, and a burning pain exploded over his back. He heard a click, and then something circular and cold pressed against his forehead.

Gakupo opened his eyes and realized there was a gun to his head.

And holding that gun with a single, strong arm was a young woman, probably less than twenty years old. She had shiny, long pink hair. It cascaded in subtle waves down her back, except for one small lock that fell over her chest.

Her eyes, of a soft sky-blue color, glowed with triumph and mischievousness.

_Those eyes..._ Gakupo thought, dazed.

She pressed the gun harder into his forehead and his eyes trained on it. He didn't dare move, didn't dare to even breathe. His hands, splayed against the wall, trembled.

And then, she spoke.

"Hey." she said, a smile curling across her lips. "Purple hair. What's your name?"

"G-Gakupo. Gakupo Kamui." he choked out.

"Gakupo, then." she said, turning her head away to inspect the fingernails of her hand. Her other hand was the one curled around his neck, nails already digging red crescent-moons into his skin.

She glanced at him. "Give me food or I'll blow your brains out. Okay?"

She flashed a bright, sarcastic smile at him. There was a silence, dotted only by the sound of falling rain from outside.

"Um?" Gakupo managed to squeak.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Funny story for you guys, tell me if it happens to you~ whenever I go out to eat and there's eggplant on the menu, I HAVE to eat it. It doesn't matter if it's Eggplant-radish-beet-cucumber-smelly cheese mash stuffed into duck liver- I HAVE to eat it. THERE'S A TINY GAKUPO-ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER FORCING ME TO. As for the taste? I used to hate it, but now I've actually started to love it**! **XD**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy~! /NOMS AN EGGPLANT STUFFED WITH CHEESE (my favorite!)**

Chapter Two

Two things flashed before Gakupo's eyes.

The first, of course, was his life. But the second, the important one, was the big obvious fact that there was a very attractive lady requesting his assistance. It all depended on how he decided to look at it, right?

_Hey!_ Gakupo thought. _I bet this is a sign! A chance!_

The woman, annoyed, put the gun up by his temple. "Why's it taking you so long to decide? It's not like I've given you a hard choice here!"

"Not a hard choice at all." Gakupo said silkily to himself.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing- now, why don't you come on in?" he said.

He watched the woman's eyes narrow as she scanned his face with those soft, beautiful eyes. "Don't try to pull anything funny here, 'Gakupo', or I'll-"

But from the second she said his name, Gakupo muted out the rest of the things she was saying. "I like your voice." he interrupted dreamily.

"You're disgusting!" the woman said angrily, letting go of him. He slid down the wall, landing in a heap on the floor. "Just get me some food so I can leave!"

"Okay, okay!" Gakupo said. "But you _really_ could've just asked politely-"

But the woman wasn't listening, already breezing past him towards the kitchen. "Hey, a cake. It's my lucky day!" he heard her say.

He followed her into the kitchen and found that she was already shoveling cake into her mouth. He watched her eat. "Hey, can I have some of-?"

"No." she snapped at him.

"But it's my birthday!"

"Oh, boo-hoo. What're you gonna do, cry about it?"

Gakupo paused for a second. For the first time she realized what she was wearing, a long black dress with gold accents. It stood in stark contrast to her way of eating. "You're not very ladylike, are you?"

The woman whirled. "Of course I'm ladylike!" she yelled through a mouthful of eggplant cake.

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that."

She swallowed. "Oh, look who's talking, the king of manliness himself. How many different conditioners do you use on that hair of yours? Thirty?"

"No, it's less than thirty!" Gakupo said indingantly.

"Twenty-nine, big difference." she said, finishing off the last of the cake. "Hey, do you have more food?" She took her umbrella and slid the gun out of the bottom of the pole. "Because if you do, you'd better-"

"Sure!" Gakupo said. "Why don't I make you some eggs or something?"

The woman looked incredulously at him. "Know what? You're weird." she said. "Most people who's houses I break into just cower in the corner and put all their food in a bag or something. Why don't you do that?"

"Eggs it is!" Gakupo chirped happily, taking a carton from the fridge. "Anyway, who are you? Why are you running around committing armed robberies?"

"What's it to you?"

"Oh, nothing. Just curious!"

"My name's Luka, Luka Megurine." she said. "I ran away from home because my dad was part of some criminal gang."

"Like father, like daughter." Gakupo muttered, cracking two eggs and letting them fall in sizzling heaps onto the pan on the stove.

"Hey, I'm nothing like him!" Luka yelled. "He wanted to SELL me to them. Sell me! That's when I ran away."

"Why didn't you just call the police or something?"

"Because this isn't just some group of creepy men we're talking here. This gang is big, all over Japan- and they already paid my dad. In full."

"But... are they chasing you, then?"

"They aren't looking for me." Luka said. "But my dad is, or else they'll kill him. Oh yes, of course he tells the police, 'My poor daughter's gone missing! Please help me find her, she's cold and lost and alone!' and no one suspects why he really wants me home."

There was a silence as Gakupo turned the eggs over. "That's... tough." he said. "So you're hiding from the police _and_ a gang?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Are you sure that robbing people is the right way to stay alive? You could do something else. Live hidden somewhere, start a new life."

"No." Luka said. "I'm a traveller. I live for the feeling of going to new places, visiting-"

"But is that what's best for you?" Gakupo said.

"What do you know about what's best for me?" she snapped at him.

"I ran away from home too." he responded.

"Well, your situation is different from mine." Luka said. "So don't try to go all 'wise' on me. Are you done with those eggs yet? I'm famished."

"Almost, almost..." Gakupo said. "Hey, why don't you hang your coat? I'd take it for you, but I'm here..."

Luka stared at his back with distrust. "I don't understand you."

"What's not to understand?"

"Why are you being so nice?"

"Because I'm a nice person! Now, go hang up your coat. You can't enjoy food if you're all wet, can you?"

Luka, grumbling to herself under her breath, went to the front of the small house to hang her coat up.

And Gakupo, once he'd looked over his shoulder and made sure she wasn't looking his way, reached up into the medicine cabinet and took out a small bottle. He twisted the top off and took two pills, cracking them open over the omelet. The white powder was quickly absorbed.

"Okay, I hung it on that rack in the front." Luka said, turning around just as Gakupo slipped the bottle into his robes. "Hey, what's with that funky robe you're wearing, anyway? What are you, a samurai?"

"I take sword lessons, but no, I'm not a samurai." he said. "It's a fashion statement!"

"Oh, yes. It positively screams of your manliness."

"Don't be mean!" Gakupo scoffed, sliding the omelet onto a plate. He walked over, setting it in front of Luka. "Now, why don't you eat?"

Luka looked down at the plate, then back up at him. "You taste it first."

"What?"

"How do I know you're not about to poison me as revenge for breaking in or something?" she said to him. "Taste the eggs!"

He took a small piece and ate it. "There. Happy?"

"Very." Luka said, eating the rest in what must've been about thirty seconds. Then, she leaned back, satisfied. "Are there any good motels around here, really cheap ones?"

"Motels?" Gakupo said, playing with the corner of his robe. "Um... there's one not far from here. But before you go, don't you want something to drink? After all, you must be thirsty!"

"Yeah... that would be nice..." Luka said. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

"Me?" Gakupo said innocently. "Of course not!" He took a jug of chocolate milk from the fridge, slipping his hand into his pocket and taking a third pill. While he poured, he cracked the pill open under the table and quickly dumped the powder in.

When he set the glass in front of her, she sighed. "Chocolate milk? How old do you think I am, three?"

"Chocolate milk makes your bones strong!" Gakupo joked. "How old are you, anyway?"

Luka downed the glass, then set it back on the table. "I'll be seventeen next January..."

Her head drooped suddenly, and she held her head. "Whoa... I feel dizzy..."

And then, suddenly, her head snapped up. "Wait a minute- you drugged me! I can't believe it, you drugged me-! Who are you working for?"

"Me? No one." Gakupo said. "Why don't you just relax?"

But relaxing wasn't in option. Luka was in full panic mode. "Why?" she said. "You'll regret this, I swear! I'll make you regret this... and... I...!"

And then, her eyes rolled back and her head fell forward, thick pink hair falling over her face.

Gakupo stayed where he was for a little, and then he walked forward and picked her up. Her head lolled over his arm, mouth falling open.

"You might not know what's best for you," he muttered, "but I'm pretty sure that I do."

With that said, he carried her down the hall and into the guest room.

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Luka blinked blearily, stretching.

Suddenly, she realized where she was and sat up, drawing in a breath.

And then she remembered. That purple-haired guy, Gakupo- he'd...

Luka scrambled out of the bed she'd found herself in, kicking off the covers, and ran towards the door. She realized that someone had taken her boots off and triangled them neatly by the door. Luka grabbed them and quickly pulled them on.

Then, she seized the doorknob, turned and pulled-

It was locked. _Locked!_ Suddenly, all Luka wanted to do was get to the other side of that door. It was the only thing that mattered. She kicked it, but it didn't budge. Then, she tried slamming into it sideways, but all that did was make her shoulders hurt.

Desperate, she clawed at the wood. "GAKUPO!" she shouted. "GAKUPO, YOU'D BETTER LET ME OUT! HEY!"

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. "Sheesh, you're really making quite the racket!" she heard Gakupo say.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?" she said. "Are you one of those perverts?"

"What? No, of course not!" he trilled. "I just want to help you."

"Help?" she spat, glaring at the door as if she could see through it. "You call this HELP?"

"Yes, actually, I do."

_That dirty...!_ Luka thought. "If you don't let me out, I'll-"

"Blow my brains out?" Gakupo said. "That might be a little hard, seeing as I have your gun..."

"Aaagh!" Luka yelled in exasperation, her head thudding against the door. The wood felt cool on her forehead, and it calmed her. "Okay, Gakupo. What do you want from me, then?"

"I want you to live a normal life here for six months or so."

"What do you even gain from that? You're not making sense!"

"You think that just travelling around is what'll give you happiness in life" Gakupo said, leaning against the door. "I think- I _know_ that you're wrong. And- and I feel _bad_, honestly! I want you to be happy!"

"Why do you care, anyway?"

"Because I want to help you! I'm a nice person!"

"You're lying, I can tell." Luka yelled. "Also... nice? You _drugged_ me and locked me in a room!"

"And you, Luka, held a gun to my head." Gakupo said. "So we're even!"

"Well, know what? No! I won't play along with your stupid little game!"

"Come on, you get a place to stay for free- and food, too!"

Luka had to admit- the offer wasn't bad. But she still knew that she lived for freedom. "No. Absolutely not!"

"Well, that's a real shame. I guess I'll have to call the police now- you _did_ assault me, after all..."

"What?" Luka said, her heart stopping. She pressed herself up against the door. "You... you wouldn't!"

"Now where was my phone again? Gosh, it must be in my room..."

"No- no- please!" She jiggled the doorknob. "Gakupo! Wait!"

"Yes?" he said innocently.

"Don't call the police."

"So you'll stay?" he said brightly.

"No. Just give me another choice. I'll give you anything! Money, or... uh..."

"You stay here for a few months. Final offer..."

"No way!"

"'Kay. Bye, Luka."

Luka's head was pounding. _What should I do?_ she thought. _I'm totally cornered! I... I don't think I have a choice._

"Gakupo!" she called. He didn't answer. _Oh no! He must've already- _

"Yes, Luka?"

"Fine!" she shouted. "I'll stay in your stupid house!"

"Yay!" Gakupo said. "Hmmm... would you attack me if I let you out of that room?"

"Yes."

"I guess you're not getting any breakfast, then."

Luka's stomach growled, and she realized that she was starving. "Fine, I won't attack you!"

She heard the metal on metal sound of a key scraping the lock, and then the door was opening and she fell forward-

Gakupo caught her, and she sagged.

"Feed me." she said, her voice thick with the shame of giving up.

He dragged her down the hall, her shiny golden boots scraping along the wooden floor. "Don't you want to walk?" he said.

"Nooo." she moaned.

"Okay, you were careless, and I beat you. So what? Just get over it!" Gakupo said. "You're going to enjoy this, I swear you will."

"I hate you."

"See? That's progress. Somehow."

"Say one more word and I'll punch your face in."

"One more word. Haha, I said it!"

"I'LL MURDER YOU!" Luka shouted, pulling her fist back and launching it towards his-

Gakupo ducked, the fist swishing past his face, and then he lifted her over his shoulder.

"Hey!" she yelled, kicking his chest. "This is humiliating! Let me down! Let me-!"

"You're so noisy!" Gakupo said, shaking his head. "Just like one of those public toilets."

"Did- did you just compare me to a public toilet?" Luka shouted. Her face flared red in anger. "I'LL SHOVE YOUR _FACE_ INTO A PUBLIC TOILET!"

Gakupo, ignoring her, lowered her into a chair. She seethed with rage.

"Guess who made pancakes?" he said.

"You're _dead_."

"No, _I _made pancakes. I've never heard of this 'you're dead' person. Is he a friend of yours?"

Luka didn't answer, instead turning away and crossing her arms.

Gakupo put a plate of pancakes in front of her.

"I'm not eating anything you make." she said. "I'm- I'm not hungry!"

"Okay, now you're just being silly!"

"Shut up." Luka eyed the fork on the table, contemplating its use as a weapon.

"Am... am I going to have to force-feed you?"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" she said, eyes flashing as she scooched her chair backwards in disgust.

"Then eat your pancakes. C'mon, they're tasty!"  
>"Who are you, my <em>mom<em>?"

"As of now, yes." Gakupo said smugly. He turned away-

Luka took a deep breath, leapt up from her chair, and bolted towards the door.

Gakupo smiled as he heard her get to the front door and pull at the doorknob.

"What-" he heard her say. "Did you...? Wait. You locked the door from the _INSIDE_?"

"Luka-chan, seriously- your pancakes are getting cold!"

Luka, desperate, started banging on the door with her fists. "HELP! SOMEONE! A WEIRDO WITH PURPLE HAIR HAS CAPTURED ME IN-"

Gakupo calmly walked over and patted her lightly on the head. "I don't think that'll get you anywhere." he said, shaking his head sadly.

Luka reached up and wrenched his hand away, teeth bared, then whirled and stalked away. "Fine, I'll eat your STUPID waffles!"

"They're pancakes!"

"WHO CARES?" she yelled, sitting down. She flipped the bottle of syrup next to her upside down and drenched the soft pancakes in translucent, sticky brown syrup. Then, she stabbed them viciously with her fork and ate them.

Gakupo jiggled his spatula, dangling it from his fingers. "So? How are they?"

"No freakin' comment." Luka muttered, glaring at him. The effect of the glare was somewhat lessened by the syrup mustache that now curled around her lip.

"I'll take that as an, 'I loved, thanks'!" Gakupo said happily.

"You shouldn't."

"Oh, don't be so dark." he said, rolling his eyes and as he dumped his batter-flecked spatula into the sink. "You know you liked them."

Luka was quiet, rubbing her knees and staring resentfully at the floor.

_What does she like?_ Gakupo pondered, leaning against the counter as he thought. _What'll get her in a better mood? _"So, Luka." he said casually. "What do you like?"

"Like?" she responded, cranky. "Why don't I start with things I _don't_ like? There's a certain someone aaall the way up top on that list, climbing steadily through the ranks as he inches towards the position of my most hated person in this universe-"

"No, no!" Gakupo said. "What do you like to... er... eat?"

"Tuna." she fired back.

"What's your favorite col-?"

"Pink."

"What do you like weari-"

"Skirts, dresses, and no pants- ever."

Gakupo stood still, frozen and out of questions. Well, there was still one question left.

"What color are your-?"

Luka opened her mouth to answer, but then she suddenly realized she had no idea what he was about to ask. She closed it again, waiting tensely.

"What color are your panties?"

"WHAT?" Luka shouted. "What kind of question is THAT? You- you _pervert!_"

"No, wait, that slipped out-!"

Luka strode across the room and raised her hand to slap him, but Gakupo dodged her. Then, moving quickly, he dipped his finger into what remained of the pancake batter and dotted her on the nose with it.

Luka didn't move for a moment, waiting for her temper to catch up with her. And when it did- she was furious. "I'LL ANNIHILATE YOU!" she shouted, grabbing the entire bowl of batter and splashing its contents across Gakupo's robe.

She stood still, fuming silently while Gakupo stood without moving, arms out. He listened to the sound of dripping as the cold, wet batter rolled down his skin.

All of a sudden, he threw back his head and laughed. The two long ropes of hair that dangled over the front of his chest danced as his shoulders shook.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" Luka yelled, eyes practically shooting lasers of anger.

Gakupo just kept laughing, backing up against the wall and slowly sliding down.

Luka's fingers twitched, longing to coil around his neck and strangle him until he turned as purple as his hair. But she knew that she couldn't, she never would, because she loved that bright, bubbling laughter of his too much...

The laughing pierced her, clawing past her walls- and so she broke, collapsing onto the puddle on the floor in mad laughter.

She laughed so loud that she didn't realize that Gakupo had stopped. Upon realizing this, her face turned red and she turned away, guilty.

"I like your laugh." Gakupo said, smiling stupidly.

"You look ridiculous." Luka scoffed, letting her eyes drift somewhere around the blue circle design on his shirt. Anything to avoid meeting those glimmering, purple-blue eyes.

"Do you have any clothes to change into?"

"No." Luka admitted reluctantly, grimacing as she tried to stand back up.

"So it's settled!" Gakupo said, grinning. "We're going shopping today!"

Luka's face paled in dread. Her knees weakened and she sat back down on the slick, dirty floor.

"Oh, I've never gone _lady_ shopping before!" she heard him pipe excitedly as he wrung out his robe's sleeves. "I wonder how ladies choose their panties?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I'm just warning you guys- after this chapter, the story's going to change direction completely! That's because I'm going to introduce the actual plot. There's a hint of that at the end of this chapter. **

**Aaaanyhooo... enjoy! I know that this is a pretty boring chapter, but IT IS NECESSARY~ **

**YAY**

Chapter Three

The sun shone brightly, its light filtering down through translucent clouds.

A shiny purple motorcycle tore down the road, engine roaring.

Luka held onto Gakupo, digging her fingernails into him. Her eyes were squeezed shut against the wind that roared in her ears.

"Gakupo, don't you think you're going too fast?" she babbled into the helmet microphone. "I think you're going too fast. Isn't this bad for the tires? I bet it is!"

"Luka, calm down!" she heard him say, his voice echoing in her helmet. "It's just a motorcycle. We're not actually going that fast, y'know."

"Are we there yet?"

"No. Don't freak out, okay? Everything is fine!"

His voice, tinny and distorted through the speakers in her helmet, didn't console her. "How about now? Are we there now?"

"Almost. Just hang on!"

Luka bit her lip, shutting her eyes so tight that it hurt. Gakupo, feeling her nails sink deeper into his skin, grimaced in pain.

"Luka..." he said. "Would you mind-"

Luka clenched onto him harder.

Gakupo hissed in pain. "Hey! You did that on purpose!"

"Shut up and focus on the road, will you?" Luka yelled. Gakupo flinched at her shouts in his ears and was silent.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Okay." Luka said, crossing her arms and looking away. "We're just going to go, get a dress or two, and get out. Oka-?"

"Wow, Luka, look at that store!" Gakupo said, clapping his hands together. "Let's go there first!"

"Did you even hear a word I just said?"

Gakupo grabbed her by the wrist. "Come on, this'll be fun. You'll see!"

Luka stumbled as he half-dragged her away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was later in the afternoon as they sat in a small cafe, steaming coffees sitting before them. Luka was wearing her new dress, of which she'd bought five. It was glossy, shimmering in the dazzling sunlight. Her golden boots also glinted yellow as she crossed them and uncrossed them, shifting uncomfortably.

"You're funny." Gakupo said, searching her face with his curious blue eyes. "You're a funny person."

"I didn't know you found me amusing."

"Why won't you meet my eyes?" he said, reaching across the table and waving his hand in front of her eyes. "All you have to do is turn and-"

"What, like this?" Luka scoffed, turning and fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"No, you're overdoing it-"

"I'm being sarcastic, you idiot!"

"Congratulations! You've apparently invented a way to convey sarcasm with your eyes. You're a pioneer in sarcasm."

Luka couldn't help but laugh lightly. Once she realized this, she froze and stopped immediately.

"You don't have to be so stiff." Gakupo said, rolling his eyes. "Lighten up a little. There's no point in being so serious all the time."

"You'd be sober too, if you lived like me." she muttered.

"Luka, look at me." Gakupo said. "Luka?"

She turned, reluctantly catching his eyes.

"Just because sad things have happened, doesn't mean you have to be sad all the time." he said gently. "Is that what you thought?"

His tone of voice caught Luka by surprise. "How... how would you know, anyway?" she said, a little sharper than she'd intended. "I mean- and why do you care? Who cares if I'm sad? There's lots of sad people in the world. Why don't you go and try to fix them?"

Gakupo leaned back, giving her a complicated look. "Both your questions have the same answer. Unfortunately, that answer's a secret."

"What?" Luka said. "Come on, I told you about my life. What happened in yours that could compare to mine?"

"Just the fact that you phrased it that way convinces me not to tell you even more." he said, raising his eyebrows at her. "You can't really 'compare' sad things. Just because one seems worse than the other, the lesser one isn't cancelled out. It just doesn't work that way."

"Oh?" she said. "Then how does it work?"

Gakupo chuckled, eyes looking elsewhere. "You've got a lot to learn, you know that?"

"Stop treating me like a child!" Luka said angrily. "And stop acting like you're my mom, all 'Oh, you don't know what's best for you.' It's disgusting!"

"Luka-"

"I hate you, you know that?" she yelled, standing up. By now, people were turning around, staring at them. "You can't possibly understand me, or what I'm going through!"

"Luka, sit down!" Gakupo said urgently.

Luka, still boiling with rage, sat down heavily.

"You must be tired." Gakupo said, standing up. "Let's go home."

Luka sighed. "We're using the motorcycle, aren't we?"

Gakupo nodded, a slight smirk curling across his face.

"Oh, shut up." Luka muttered, standing up. "Can we just get this over with?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They'd just started up the small walkway to the house when Luka stopped.

Gakupo turned. "What, what is it?"

"When I... broke into your house..." Luka said, fidgeting. "I left something outside, in the bushes."

"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of 'something'?"

Luka went over to the bushes beside the front door and pulled out a small, worn briefcase. She dusted it off and turned to Gakupo.

"Ahem." he said, holding out his hand. "What's in the suitcase?"

"Nothing important." Luka said quickly, looking away. Suddenly, she felt him snatch it from her hand. "Hey! Give that b-!"

Gakupo opened it.

Inside, there was a plush tuna fish. It had a light blue color and beady black eyes.

He looked over at Luka, who was reddening like a ripe tomato. "Uh..."

She snatched the briefcase away, slamming it shut. "Don't you dare say even a word, Gakupo." she hissed.

"So... what's the story behind Mr. Tuna?" Gakupo said, smirking.

"SHUT UP!"

"What, that's not his name? Oh, of course- Mrs. Tuna! Or could it be Ms. Tuna?"

"I'm going to punch your face in, you hear?"

Gakupo laughed as he unlocked the door and ushered her inside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I don't believe it." the girl said, face shining blue with light from the computer before her. "It's her!"

"Hey guys, come here!" a boy said, leaning over her shoulder. "We've found her- and she's close!"

There were some cheers and shouts of aproval from behind her. But suddenly, a worried look swept over the girl's face.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"I hacked into their data- it seems we're not the only one's who found her."

There was a long silence.

"What do we do?"

The girl bit her lip, then stood up. A determined look set into her face.

"We help her."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: It's plot/action introduction time!**

**OOOH, I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS CHAPTER~**

**Enjoy! XD**

Chapter Four

Luka woke up slowly, realizing she'd been drooling all over her pillow. She yawned, sitting up and stretching. Rubbing her eyes with one hand, she stood up and tossed her tuna back onto the bed.

Gakupo heard movement and set the pan he was holding back onto the stove. "Guess who made eggs?" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Luka, despite herself, smiled. "Coming!" She padded down the small stairs and turned, finding herself next to the table. Gakupo turned and waved from the kitchen.

The room was brilliantly lit, sunlight streaming in from the windows. It warmed her bare feet as she lightly stepped over to the stove.

"You're not going to throw something in my face this time, are you?" Gakupo teased. She punched his shoulder, still groggy from sleep.

He dumped the eggs on two plates, neatly centering them, and handed one to Luka. They both went over to the table and sat down.

"So." Gakupo said. "Anything in particular that you'd like to do today?"

"Don't you have work, or something?" Luka said suspiciously. "What do you live on?"

"Me? Well, I have a job at a store, but it's closed for a while now."

"Oh."

They chewed in silence for a minute. When they were done, Gakupo took the plates and dumped them into the dishwasher.

"Hey, I know what we should do today!" he said. "We should go watch a movie. It's too late to do anything else."

Luka looked up at the clock. "Noon already, huh." she said. "Okay, sure."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Luka and Gakupo walked through the park, hands in pockets. The weather was humid and bleak, daylight blocked by a gray mass of clouds.

"That... that was fun." Luka said shyly, watching her feet as they stepped through the lush, green grass on the ground.

"Yeah." Gakupo responded, thoughts elsewhere.

They kept walking. Gakupo glanced at his watch, then up at the sky. "Hey, Luka- it's getting kind of dark. It's already after six!"

"Wow." Luka muttered. "Time flies."

"Let's go home. Come on, this way." Gakupo said. "Quickly- we wouldn't want to be stuck out here in the dark."

"Why?"

"I don't know- I've heard it can get dangerous. Better safe than sorry, no?"

"All right." Luka nodded, and they turned and headed back.

There weren't many people on the sidewalk as they started back, and the sky was growing dark. Luka nervously glanced up, then looked all around. A bad feeling lingered in the air, seeping into her stomach.

"Gakupo... can we hurry a little?" she said meekly. Without realizing it, she'd grabbed onto his arm.

"Why?" Gakupo said. "Afraid of the dark?"

"Don't be an idiot, of course not!" Luka scoffed. "I just... feel something's wrong."

"C'mon, don't jinx it." Gakupo chuckled. "It-"

Suddenly, Luka perked up, stiffening.

Gakupo felt her grip tighten. "Luka, is something wrong-? Luka!"

She'd started shaking, almost completely frozen. He whirled, grabbing her by the shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, he heard them. It was a loud, rumbling noise, the noise of many speeding cars. He turned...

And saw what looked like six or seven pairs of headlights.

As they sped closer, Gakupo saw that they were huge, black trucks-

Luka suddenly snapped into focus. "Gakupo, go away. Run to your house, leave me here-"

"What are you talking about, Luka?" he said. "Who are those-"

"No time to explain! I'm sorry!" Luka yelled, tearing away from him. Her long, black dress billowed behind her as she ran, boots slapping the pavement.

"No!" Gakupo followed her, catching up and taking her by the shoulders. "What-"

"Let me GO!" she cried, ripping free of him. He caught her again and she screamed, clawing at his arms.

Suddenly, they were illuminated by bright, harsh lights. Gakupo shielded his eyes, backing away.

"GET DOWN!" he heard someone shout through a megaphone.

"No." he heard Luka whisper beside him. She went weak in the knees, legs buckling.

That was all Gakupo needed to hear.

He grabbed Luka by the arm and started running, fast. She stumbled behind him, unable to keep up.

The trucks, vans, whatever they were, pulled away and followed the two, screeching as they turned.

Their feet pounded on the cement of the sidewalk. Luka panted and gasped, holding her side. Gakupo gritted his teeth, looking back. They were getting closer every second, accelerating.

He went around a curb and ducked into a small alley, leaning against the wall. While waiting for his breathing to slow down, he turned to Luka. Her face was coated with a sheen of sweat, cheeks red.

"Who're those guys?" Gakupo said through his gasps. "What's going on?"

Luka opened her mouth, trying to get words out and failing. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

"What?" Gakupo said.

He heard the van pull up to the alley, blocking the exit. Swearing, he pulled Luka farther in.

But it was too late.

They'd been spotted.

What seemed like an entire army of men poured out of the truck. Gakupo and Luka were suddenly lit with spotlights, and they heard the clicking sounds of many guns being readied.

"Get down!" one of them shouted, one that seemed to be the head of the group. "Now!"

"Gakupo." Luka whispered.

"What?"

"GET DOWN OR WE'LL SHOOT!" the leader shouted again.

"You might want to cover your ears."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" she hissed.

Gakupo pressed his hands over his ears, still confused.

Luka drew in a breath, filling her lungs with air.

And then...

Opening her mouth-

She screamed.

She screamed a perfect, high-pitched note.

It hit the men, literally hit them, and they fell, clutching at their ears. The window on the van blocking the way out shattered inwards, the van's exterior filling with dents. It looked like it was about to turn over, rocking- and suddenly, it was on its side, then upside down, and then it was rolling away, built-in alarms blaring-

The sound of crunching metal and breaking glass filled the air, mixing with the screaming.

Gakupo, arms aching from pressing his hands over his ears so hard, looked up at Luka with a mixture of horror and confusion.

Her scream suddenly died down. Her eyes fluttered... and she fell.

Gakupo dove forward and caught her. She coughed, and blood splattered over his white sleeve.

Without hesitating, he barrelled towards the entrance of the alley, leaping over the fallen, stirring men, and tore down the sidewalk towards his house.

In his arms, Luka started sobbing, hands curling around his robe. She gripped it with shaking hands.

Gakupo opened the door and ran immediately to her room. He locked the door and laid her down on her bed.

She sat up, sobbing louder now, and grabbed her tuna. Blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.

"Luka." Gakupo said, tone urgent. He gently turned her face towards his. "I know you're in pain, but you've got to tell me what's going on. It's the only way I can help-"

"You can't help." Luka wailed, burying her face in her tuna. "I blew it. They know where we are! I'm dead!"

"Tell me the full story!" Gakupo yelled, shaking her by the shoulders. "Now, quickly!"

Luka wiped off her eyes. "R-remember how I told you that my dad sold me to a gang?"

"Yes...?"

"Well, it wasn't a gang." she said through her crying. "It w-was a-" she hiccupped convulsively. "- secret branch of the gov-vernment, and he's the head of it. He sold me to them for r-research-"

She broke into more tears, shoulders shaking. "I escaped, but now they're here- they're going to hurt me, do you understand? I'm dead!"

"Slow down." Gakupo said. "They did research on you? But that's illegal-"

"I know!" she shouted at him. "I know, I know, I know- but they did! They turned me into a freak. And they want me back-"

All of a sudden, there was banging on the door downstairs. "OPEN UP! YOU'RE SURROUNDED!" they heard.

Luka moaned, pulling up her knees and dropping her head onto them. Gakupo made a frustrated noise through his teeth. He swept her up into his arms and ran downstairs.

"There's nothing you can do, Gakupo!" she yelled at him, tears streaming from her eyes. "Don't you understand? It's over!"

"I'm not going down without a fight."

"You- you aren't part of this! You can just leave me, and-"

"I won't leave you to these cruel people, you hear? Now, stop talking. I'm getting you out of here."

He looked around, and his eyes settled on the back door. He ran to it and opened it.

Immediately, there were spotlights on them- but Gakupo ran anyway, arm over his eyes. There were gunshots, and he ducked.

But suddenly, they were all around him and Luka. Their guns were all steadily pointed at them.

Gakupo cursed.

"GET DOWN!" someone shouted through a megaphone.

There was a silence.

"No..." Luka whispered. Gakupo slowly set her down. She stood, swaying unsteadily, and let her face fall into her hands.

"It's going to be okay." Gakupo said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. The men around them moved forward, closing in. "Somehow, it's going to be... okay..."

He heard a noise, suddenly, and looked up.

The men seemed to have stopped closing in, looking around in confusion. A screeching noise...

Suddenly, a small object flew through the air. It clattered down and spun on the ground.

Everyone looked down-

And it exploded loudly, filling the air with thick, white smoke and brilliant light. The smoke billowed all around them, blocking out the stars.

A car, long and black, burst through the smoke, barrelling towards Gakupo and Luka. It swerved at the last second, screeching to a stop.

The window rolled down, and someone with long, yellow hair stuck her head out. She was wearing sunglasses, and they shielded her against the blazing light from the stun grenade.

"Don't worry, you're safe with us!" she yelled. "My name's Lily- GET IN!"

Ears ringing, Gakupo grabbed Luka and opened the car door, pushing her in. He got in after her, shutting the door.

The tires spun, and the car screeched away.

Once the shock had worn off, Gakupo sat up. "Um-"

"Ah, they're still following us. How unfortunate." Lily said, glancing back. "Gumi, would you do the honors...?"

"Of course." a voice said from the seat beside Lily's, and the person she'd been addressing stood up on her seat. She raised her head through the sunroof, and Gakupo heard the click of her gun...

Luka was jolted into awareness by the loud sound of bullets.

"Gakupo..." she said, grabbing his sleeve. "Are... are we... safe?"

"Yeah." Gakupo said, as Gumi whooped and ducked down, closing the sunroof above her head. "I think we are."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The car pulled up behind an abandoned warehouse.

Gumi and Lily climbed out, slamming the doors behind them.

"Come on." Gakupo whispered to Luka, squeezing her hand for encouragement. She climbed out after him, anxiously squeezing his arm. He could hear the sounds of hundreds of hidden crickets, buzzing into the warm, pitch-black night.

"This way!" Gumi called to them, beckoning. Gakupo could now see that she had green hair, cut so that it rested around her shoulders. There was a pair of red goggles on her head, glinting in the light from her flashlight.

They ran to the warehouse, and Lily opened a hatch in the floor. She ushered them in, onto a ladder.

Gakupo went first, and Luka after him. "What's going on?" he whispered.

"I don't know." she answered, voice shaking a little.

Once Gumi and Lily seemed to be sure that they were in, they started going down after them.

Gakupo stepped down from the ladder, clumsily helping Luka off.

Gumi and Lily dropped off the last rung, pushing past the two towards the main room. "We've got her, and some other guy!" they heard Gumi call. "We won!"

Immediately, they were surrounded by what looked like ten or eleven people of different ages.

"Oh, give them some space!" one of them said, pushing everyone else aside. She had brown hair and a red outfit. Her face was warm, almost motherly. "Hi." she said, as the others who'd crowded around backed away. "My name is Meiko. I'm sorry that everyone was so RUDE-" she turned and shot a meaningful glare at the rest of them- "but anyway, let me explain what just happened."

"Yeah." Gakupo said, voice small and disbelieving. "That would be nice."

"We," Meiko said, "are Vocaloids. We're supposed to be secrets of the government, but we've escaped. Now, we live in hiding, trying to sabotage them and expose their secrets to the public."

"Um." Gakupo said quietly.

"Oh, I'm so stupid! This must be a lot for you girls to take in. I-"

"I'm not a girl!" Gakupo said indignantly.

"What-?" Meiko squinted. "Oh, goodness, you're a man! Whoa!"

"Don't take it personally." a man with blue hair said from the side. He had a scarf around his neck, even though it was summer. "When Meiko's drunk, she tends to make mistakes."

"Am NOT!" Meiko yelled. "I like the occasional bottle of beer, but right now, I'm-"

"Occasional?" a young boy with yellow hair laughed. "HA! A bit more than occasional!"

"But right now, I'm not-" Meiko interrupted.

"Yeah!" a girl with yellow hair complained. "You don't even leave any for the rest of us."

"Hey- hey, you're not supposed to be drinking yet, Rin!" Lily said incredulously.

"The rest of you guys do it, it's not fair!" she complained. "Len also drinks with me!"

"Hey, you keep me out of this-"

"All you people, shut the HELL UP!" Meiko said. She turned to Gakupo and Luka, smiling sweetly. "Would you dears like to choose rooms?"

"This is a bit... overwhelming." Gakupo said, feeling a headache coming on. "Could you, maybe-?"

"WHO wants COOKIES?" an excited voice piped from across the room. It was a girl with pink- orange, maybe?- hair, and quite an odd outfit. It resembled a cat.

"NO ONE wants your cookies, Iroha." Len said nastily. "Everyone hates your cookies, and everyone hates _you_."

"Wha- wha-?" Tears sprang into Iroha's eyes. Suddenly, her line of sight landed on Gakupo and Luka, and her mood brightened. "HEY! We've got NEW PEOPLE!"

"Yes, yes!" Kaito said. "You know what? I think that the new people want cookies. Lots and lots and lots of cookies! Do you want to go make them?"

Iroha gasped, clearly happy. "YES!"

She bounded away, into the kitchen.

Gakupo cleared his throat, and they all turned. "So." he said to Meiko. "Are you the, uh, leader... person?"

"Heavens, no!" she laughed. "I like 'occasional' bottles of beer too much to be any kind of leader. The leader is- hey, where is she? Miku! Mi-"

"All right, I'm coming!" they heard, and a girl walked into the room. She had glossy, teal hair, bound in twin pigtails that arced around her shoulders. "Oooh, yay! You got to them in time!" she said, happy.

"Thanks to me and my grenades!" Len said excitedly. "I make good grenades!"

"Hush, now." Miku said, patting Len on the head. "Hey, you new guys. You look terrible!"

Gakupo looked at Luka. She was still clinging to him, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights.

"I think your friend there has gone into shock." Miku said. "Guys, help her to her room, before she falls over."

Lily amd Gumi came forward, gently taking the near unresponsive Luka and helping her away. They turned down a hallway and were gone.

"Hey..." Miku said. "You're- you're not a Vocaloid, are you?"

"Vocaloid?" Gakupo said, confused.

"Yeah, one of us!" Miku said. "You know, freaky voice powers-?"

"Oh, no, no." he said, shaking his head. "Of course not! I just discovered that such a thing existed, like, an hour ago."

"Well, you were lucky to outrun... _them_." Miku said. She pronounced the last word with disgust, as though it tasted bad. "They'll be after you now, too. Oh, but where are my manners? You look exhausted! Piko, can you show Gakupo to a room?"

"Which room?"

"Any room." She then turned back to Gakupo. "We'll discuss all this in the morning, okay? I'll see you tomorrow." Then, she turned to everyone. "All right, you guys, show's over. Go to sleep!"

Everyone went down the narrow hallways, and Piko led Gakupo down the one on the right.

Gakupo glanced at the boy. He had strange, white hair, shaped into what looked like a 'P' on top of his head.

Piko opened a door. "This'll be your room."

"Thanks." Gakupo said, and then the door closed. He was left in silence.

There was a small futon mat on the ground, a pair of sitting-cushions next to a short, wooden table, and not much else.

Too exhausted to explore his surroundings further, he collapsed onto the futon and fell asleep.


End file.
